History has long been my keenest interest and was a childhood fascination. I followed this interest to University where I obtained my BA and MA in History. My thesis was concentrated on British colonialism in Africa, but my first historical love was England, especially those Tudors. My life's greatest passion are my two boys. My most avid hobbies are reading and travel. My favorite reads are historical fiction and my favorite travel destination Western Europe. Because of the high volume of books I read and my passion for discussion I was encouraged by friends to begin a book review blog earlier this year and so The Most Happy Reader was born.

love the start of a trilogy combined with the book's setting in Sherwood Forest, home to everyone's favorite law-breaker Robin Hood. Perhaps it was Disney that first hooked me on the story of Robin and his Merry Men, but it is certainly an interest that has lasted throughout my life. With my strong connection to the legend as well as the historical setting in early medieval England I must admit Laura Strickland had a huge hurtle as I began to read Daughter of Sherwood and she truly sailed way over the mark!

We are introduced to Wren, the daughter of Robin Hood, and taken on a journey of her own self-discovery while coping with the demands of her father's legacy. Like so many a maiden she finds herself torn between two seemingly irresistible men unable to commit fully to either, but she finds her purpose when her beloved forest is threatened. Only then is Wren able to reach down within herself and become the leader she is destined to become.

Strickland's writing is descriptive, painting landscapes and characters with her words that draw the reader further and further in to her narrative. Daughter of Sherwood is a love story but not in the traditional sense. Wren discovers not only a love of her beloved forest, but also a loving respect for her father. It seems, to this reader that she also discovers a love and appreciation of herself and her abilities. The love of the heart is always messy and the love triangle Strickland creates is full of the misery, angst, rejection and hope that always mingle with one's search for a companion.

Strickland's Daughter of Sherwood is a page turner. She is able to hold onto the legends while creating a new story-line around them. Fans of English history, of the folklore of Robin Hood, or those who simply enjoy a good read will all find something in Daughter of Sherwood which I recommend without hesitation.